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The Downward Spiral
Only my gothic gallows sense of humor is going to get me through this. The summer has seen the rapid decline in my sister, with the worst being from July to August. There was a brief plateau, and now she's heading down again. She was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's in Aug. 2018, but I suspect (and worked backwards),…
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Sundowners(8)
I’m fairly new to this forum. I have found comfort here knowing I’m not the only one experiencing complications and emotions with this terrible/sad condition. My husband and I were taking care of both my mom and dad since 2020. Mom passed away in September. They were married for 63 years. Now we have dad without his other…
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How to forgive others after family caregiving ends.
I know so many of us struggle with relatives and friends making the caregiver journey that much harder by their attitudes or just flat out defection. I thought this article interesting and may help some of us let go. https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/basics/info-2023/finding-forgiveness-after-caregiving-ends.html
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Family and Alzheimer’s
My mother is newly diagnosed with advanced Alzheimer’s. She has good and bad days. But her brother whom lives 5 hours away is trying to help her. He doesn’t understand her condition as he’s not with her daily as I am. My mom tells him one thing ie- needing a new driveway. So he calls someone to come give an estimate. I…
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Sam Bennett - Masters tournament golfer whose dad had Alzheimer's
Have you heard about Sam Bennett? He's 23, and is playing in the Masters Tournament this year. His dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at age 45, passed 2 years ago. He has a tattoo on his arm of the last thing his dad wrote, "Don't wait to do something." I guess his dad said that to him, then he asked his dad to write it…
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Being non confrontational
The Assisted Living where my mom currently resides starting changing her antidepressant medications because she was crying a lot. My brother and I were also getting a lot of phone calls. She does not have a cell phone (because she kept calling 911), so she uses the phone in the library. One evening she wanted to call a…
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How do you keep bowels on schedule
I have searched the forum and found some ideas, a prune a day or a mixture of applesauce and bran. Lately I have been dealing with no bowel movement for several days and then 3 or more in one day with my mother. Any help is appreciated. I am thinking to start a prune a day with her.
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Posts under review?
How many of you are getting this when you try to post a comment? Or think your comments are getting lost by the site and then they show up sone time later? There is nothing controversial about my posts and yet this has happened several times. This makes it hard to converse with people
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Big red flag on user profiles
Almost hate to post this, but warning: the default setting is that your profile including email and zip code can be viewed publicly!!!! This is awful!!! Needs to be changed asap!!!
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Memory Care vs. Memory Care Assisted Living vs. Long Term Memory Care
Hi Friends, It has been awhile since posting. We found a memory care center after many tours and interviews and were placed on the waiting list. After over 6 months of waiting, we had an opening. At the time of the opening, my mother was in skilled nursing going through some temporary habilitation that we thought would…
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World Premiere. We did it.
Dementia family, friends & care partners of the forums, the World Premiere of "Wine, Women, & Dementia" is this month at the Julien Dubuque Int'l Film Festival in Iowa. I can't believe we got this dementia family caregiver documentary this far! I would love to meet any one of you at the festival and share a caregiver hug,…
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NEW AT CAREGIVING
ive been working as a live in caregiver for a week for a 77 yr old dementia patient.im new with absolutely no experience and i am so thankful that there's help out there.thank God for this support group.its like all my prayers have been answered and because of this forum i can find all the answers to all my questions,…
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My story and ? about Gaurdenship
I am so glad I found this site. My parents were together for 40 years, until April 22, 2022 @4:13 pm when my mother lost her 3 year fight with stage 4 lung & pancreatic cancer. Two weeks before mom past away, my dad was in the hospital for 4 days with pneumonia. We initially thought he was having another stroke but soon…
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Bible Verse to Lift You Up 4/7/23
CURTAIN TORN WE NOW HAVE ACCESS TO GOD THE FATHER Luke 23:44-46 New International Version The Death of Jesus It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father,…
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Living with sister who now likely has dementia
I am thinking I made a big mistake moving in with my sister almost 2 years ago. She is seeing doctors to get diagnosis but thinks it is all bunk (cleaned up her words) am blames me and sees me as the enemy. Even though I manage everything in the house and really her health. She leaves the house for 2 hours every Monday to…
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Neglect
I'm not a caregiver, I'm a friend. My dear, suffering friend is neglected by her husband. He leaves her alone all day. He helps out with pills, etc., when she asks him, but she's too passive to ask for what she really needs. He's helpful, but minimally. He isn't capable of nurturing. N. needs care and attention, maybe…
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Bedridden, frail, but still here
My mom returned from a hospital stay from a UTI and acute kidney injury . She had infiltration from the IV being incorrect and now has nerve damage. She is eating and drinking less and has lost 12 lbs in a month. The damaged arm is the dominant one so the staff have to help her eat. She can still talk. She is too weak to…
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Living w/ me or in AL?
Been following this forum for a month. It's been like falling into a dark pit but finding a diamond. I am trying to make a decision about care for my mother and would appreciate any insights from your experiences. For background: One year ago, I moved my mother across the country with the intention of helping her find a…
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4/2/23 Bible Verse to Lift You Up
GOOD FRIDAY * EASTER * WE REJOICE! Isaiah 53:5-6 Amplified Bible 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]; The punishment [required] for our well-being fell on Him, And by His stripes (wounds) we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone…
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Henry my hubby of 43 years now free from Alzheimers and pain
after a horrible day before he passed peacefully last night. My kids and grandkids heartbroken. Does not seem real. Woke up and looked at his bed as usual to see how he is and realized ...... : (
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Intro - Mom w/ Alzheimer's; Dad w/ Cardiac & vision issues
Hi all! I'm an only child so the sole caretaker of my parents. Dad & I had been noticing Mom's memory issues for several years. She also has mobility issues due to lack of exercise. Dad had a heart attack in January of 2022 and was in the hospital for a few days. During that time I lived with mom and noticed significant…
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This is my intro (long)
Sorry, long post inbound. My mother, 84, smoked from teenager up until her mid seventies. College educated, very intelligent , sweet and kind, loves her family, art and nature. Eight years ago had the flu, which led to a seizure, which Drs presumed was due to low sodium. In the hospital for a few days. The first night she…
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Mom's Attitude
Hello All - New to the board but have been reading a lot. Thank you to everyone that shares, I know I am not alone. We moved my Dad into AL in February. My Dad had colon cancer in 2019 and did very well with surgery and chemo. After the chemo was done my mom felt something was off and went to his family doctor and then a…
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Alzheimer’s/Dementia or Just Narcissistic?
My covert narcissistic mom has had some off/on memory issues for the past couple years like where she puts things. My brother and I can’t tell whether it is normal aging or more than that. In the past two months, she has suddenly started making up stories about her youngest sister doing black magic, trying to break into…
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This is it
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Stage 7A
My father is 91 and with hospice in stage 7A. His appetite is decreasing and l know it won’t improve such as mine would if I didn’t feel like eating temporarily. He uses a walker, slowing day by day. I have been offered the notion appetite stimulants could be given. iF l want them to be. I don’t see this as a good idea and…
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Hubby has stopped eating and drinking
hospice put a catheter in Saturday as he did not void for 24 hours He has only eaten maybe one full snackpack of pudding since friday and stopped drinking from his sippy cup I am swabbing his mouth. He tried to talk when he is "awake" but we only understand a few. My son brought his boxer over, my husband LOVES that dog.…
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One month later...
Moved mom end of February. First week, I was told she was doing really well. As far as nursing care went, I agreed. Diaper rash got better. Then they moved her to the secured side. She got bad diaper rash again, and she has a chest cold, an no one noticed. I had to say something three times to three different people from…
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Intro - I'm new to all this
Hi and thank you for being here! Apologies in advance for being lengthy. My dad was diagnosed at some point before Covid. I'd had my suspicions but it wasn't a topic my mom would talk about. I live several hours away and there has been some estrangement over the years. And my parents, especially mom, keeps every bit of…
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Residential home MC vs Large facility MC
I'm taking care of both my mother and my DW. My DW is deep into Alz and my mother is showing some memory issues as well. My mother is living with me so it is very challenging dynamic taking care of both. I'm going to have to move my mother but the last AL facility she was in noticed an increase in her confusion and will…